Recovery

Back.

Well, actually I got back Tuesday night, but it's taken this long to decompress, calm down and sort out the laundry.

Friday - Tuesday = too many days combined with parents. Don't get me wrong, I love them both dearly and I am very lucky that they are relatively normal and sane, but, even so, I wish they'd turn off the damn TV sometimes. That, mixed with the traffic noise and the endless inane chatter nearly drove me up the wall. I am definitely a hermit. I cannot understand how my mother, who is otherwise an intelligent, well-read woman, can watch all those soaps without feeling her brain cells spontaneously combusting. Mind you, she's still a pretty good cook, so my vitamin levels are probably higher than they have been since I was last there :-)

Sadly it seems that Granny's fall may have been a symptom of something worse, probably another little stroke. She was up the North Staffs hospital for a few days, then transferred to Cheadle. She's refusing, or is unable, to walk, and is really confused about who people are and where and when she is. Once they've finished with her at Cheadle, she'll be going into a nursing home. My uncle can't look after her any more, she will need full-time nursing care from now on. My cousin's wife, who is an elderly-care person herself, went round a bunch of homes, and picked out a really nice one which in fact, is the one my other granny ended up in. So at least she'll be somewhere nice with a big garden and nice people looking after her. It's such a shame though, she never wanted to end up like this. My only comfort is that she doesn't really know what's happening.

In other news, apparently I am a disappointment to my parents. I'm not overly surprised. My Dad still thinks I should have been an engineer, preferably following in his footsteps (wake?) by going to sea. Yeah. There are a few reasons this would never have happened. I can't do maths, I can barely wire a plug, physics is an entirely closed book to me (apart from some of the really cool quantum stuff) and I can get seasick on wet grass. Also I am terrified of deep water and I can't swim.

My mum has started hinting that isn't it about time I started having babies?
Yowza. That one came out of left field. I can barely look after myself and the cat as it is. And unless they really are brought by storks, or found under the cabbages in the garden, the chances of it happening are right up there with Hell freezing over or the Tories winning the next election in Scotland. I did point out that there are normally one or two essential criteria for sprog-production, the most vital usually being the presence of a suitably enthusiastic male, and that such things are not so much in short supply as actually non-existent. This didn't seem to deter her a great deal, so maybe she's turning religious and is thinking of the next immaculate conception. Sheesh. I told her I would much rather have a dog, thanks.

So anyway, I managed to do a little shopping whilst up Hanley duck (it's a Stoke thing, don't worry about it) and scored a fab pair of biker boots which I have been wanting for, oh, about the last 15 years:



"Biker Wild Ones" by Grinder, from Dignity in Hanley. Love (10000000). I also bought a couple of tops and a dress from Trentham, and a dinky pink shrug. I'm looking forward to wearing the pretty dress and shrug with the boots :-)

I also had to shell out £200 to get the car serviced, but they did hoover it so that's ok...but I will be spending the rest of the month living on rice and whatever is lurking in the bottom of the freezer. I did want to go over to Fife to Twist Fibrecraft, but I daren't. My debit card is sobbing quietly in the corner as it is.

~*~

Evil Pixies

I don't think I've shared this one with you, and I'm intrigued to know if anyone else has these issues.

I have an evil pixie who follows me around. This EP likes to mess with Stuff, do pesky irritating things, and generally make sure that I live in Interesting Times. The EP has been around as long as I can remember. The earliest tricks it played were the old chestnut, moving things That I Just Put Down, Right Here, Ten Seconds Ago. It still likes to do this on occasion, just for a bit of variety. Another favourite is Let's Play Move The Scissors. I have about ten pairs of scissors lying around the house, evenly distributed. However, when I want a pair of scissors, every single pair will have magically transported to the other end of the house, dammit.

Not content with these little amusements, it has dreamt up some new ones. These include, but are not limited to:

Let's Fill Up The Ironing Basket Endlessly When She's Not Looking
Let's Play Hide All The Clean Underwear In The House, At 7AM When You're In A Hurry
Let's Throw Mysterious Yakky Bits All Over The Clean Kitchen Floor

Even worse, it has discovered the endless wonders of yarn.

Let's Tie A Knot In It, Right Here
Let's Untie That Nice New Skein, And Then Throw It All Around The House Till It Looks Like Spaghetti
Let's Hide One Of The Needles
Let's Play Hide And Seek With The Darning Needle Set
Let's Move The Knitting So All The Stitches Drop Off The Needles, Then Get One Stitch And Unravel It For 27 Rows

I can cope with all of this. Really, I can. However, a line has been crossed, and now it's War.

My beloved, discontinued, can't-get-any-more-anywhere-and-they're-the-best-in-the-world Rotring Pens have been disappeared. Both of them - my .18 and .35mm.

I want them back, Right Now, otherwise there will be Trouble. There may even be Blood. If they're not where they should be by the time I get home, EP, you're going to have a place for a scab. Understand?

Send In The Sherpas

OMG OMG OMG

My very dear friend texted me earlier to say "Can we come round tonight?" I of course said yes, haven't seen them for a while blah blah...

Have you seen our house? Have a look down this blog, you'll find it.

See the problem?

Put it this way, Focus DIY in Lichfield are now a fair few storage boxes lighter, and I'm going to do my darndest to sneak out early, get home and then go into a frenzy of cleaning, stash-boxing, floor-mopping and clothes-folding. I may have to get out the Possessed Hoover From Hades (just don't ask, me and the vacuum cleaner, well, we have issues) and vacuum up all the bits of mohair that have attached themselves to the carpet.

I need to put all my summer clothes in the airing cupboard too. Unfortunately this means getting all the winter stuff out first. Hmmm. I would like to try and find the dining table as well, but that may be a bridge too far. There's stuff been on there that long Staffordshire County Council's Archaeology department are trying to make an appointment to do a dig.

I would just like to say, that this is not strictly because of my friend's impending visit. It was started, in fact, by Her Harlotness, who is having issues with husband management. (I typed that "husbane" - how appropriate) This, followed by the aforementioned text, was enough to fire the tidying up synapses, which are now in overdrive. I also have husbane management issues, like the bathroom which remains uncleaned. Having got sick to the back teeth of feeble excuses for three weeks, I'm doing it. And I'm going to do a far better job than he ever does.

Send help.

Or failing that, chocolate will suffice.

Tuesday Update

Well, I didn't mean to leave it a whole week, but real life got in the way (as usual)

I've been doing this:


It's Random Knitting (TM) - I have no idea what it is going to be, but probably a wrap. Maybe. Totally knitted from stash.

I also have been doing a little (shhh) stash enrichment...a very successful trip round the charity shops:


35 ounces (about 990 grams) of what certainly looks and feels like 100% pure wool aran. I had a skein of something like this in the stash already from my granny, and this appears identical. I have hand-dyed about half of that first skein in various colours, so I will probably do the same with this - it's too itchy to be a jumper sadly. Then I just have to decide what to make with it. I've got one or two ideas, but nothing concrete yet. Suggestions gratefully received!

I also got this, for winter snuggly scarves (though it's so darned cold I'm going to cast one on really soon...)


James C. Brett Marble chunky - 200g ball, from Abakhan.

I just adore the colour - it called me across the shop. You know, the way yarn does sometimes. Good value as well. (as long as you're not a yarn snob!)




Final piccy for now, a random little project that I've started (like I need any more) - a French knitted rug. I use a knitting mill, which I had from Texere.

It's only about the size of a dinner plate so I've got a bit more work to do. Great for stashbusting!

Right, I really need to go and do some ironing. The heap is starting to leer at me from the corner of the living room. Later folks.

So?

Ok, ok, I know I've not been here. I have been knitting. A facecloth. For Christmas. C'mon, admit it, you're impressed. Here we are in August, and not only have I planned some Christmas knitting, I've actually started it. Sometimes I amaze myself. Not only have I knitted a facecloth (lace, I'll have you know) but I have blocked it as well. And I've done all the washing AND all the ironing. And I scrubbed the kitchen floor and the recycling box.

I am a domestic goddess.

Here is a random picture of some of my work, just to prove I do other stuff that is not yarn or clay-related.

Graphics (I do not know why they have gone all over the place. They won't behave. So bite me.)